Garment and like presses



CM. 9, 1 .1. c. BINNS ETAL 2,755,549

GARMENT AND LIKE PRESSES Filed Jan. 21. 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 9, 1% J. c. BINNS Em 2,765,54

GARMENT AND LIKE PRESSES Filed Jan. 21, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 6 GARMENT AND LHE PRESSES John Cecil Binns, llford, and Stanley Newbery, New Barnet, England Application January 21, 1953, Serial No. 332,437

Claims priority, application Great Britain January 28, 1952 12 Claims. (CI. 38-22) This invention relates to a garment press for laundry, dry cleaning and like clothes pressing operations of the type in which a buck or a plurality of displaceable bucks are arranged to have in turn garments or like articles arranged thereon at a loading station and to be moved successively to a pressing station.

In modern laundries or other garment cleaning and pressing plants, it is economically essential that the machinery has a high output while occupying the minimum of necessary floor space. Furthermore it is desirable that modern laundry machines are, whenever possible, capable of being worked by a single operator. The improved construction of press according to the present invention aims at fulfilling these requirements while maintaining a satisfactory high class finish to the articles treated.

According to the invention a garment for wearing on or over the torso or a skirt-like garment is suitably laid out horizontally over a double sided buck at a loading station and is then moved in si-tu to a pressing station at which both the front and back of the garment are pressed simultaneously from above and below, the garment being moved from the pressing station at the completion of pressing. By garments for wearing on or over the torso is meant articles of clothing such as shirts, dresses, coats and the like as opposed to trousers, the method of simultaneous two sided pressing of a garment laid out horizontally is however suitable to other garments such as skirts.

The invention consists in a garment or like press of the type indicated wherein a plurality of horizontally disposed double-sided bucks .are displaceable about a vertical axis or pivot and in a substantially horizontal plane from a garment loading or laying out station into position at a pressing station at which upper and lower relatively movable heated pressing heads are arranged to apply pressing pressure to the positioned buck and the garment thereon simultaneously from above and below. According to a preferred form, both the upper and the lower pressing heads are arranged to move towards each other, but one or other of the heads may be fixed and the pressing pressure derived from a single movable head, the pressure on both sides of the intervening buck being equalised by making the mounting for the bucks tilt-able to a limited extent about a horizontal axis, which tiltable arrangement it is preferred to utilize in all practical embodiments of the invention.

The invention is not confined to any specific number or arrangement of double-sided bucks within the scope of practical design, the bucks are however connected to or mounted on a common vertical pivot centrally disposed with respect to the buck arrangement around which the bucks rot-ate into and out of the loading .and pressing stations. Thus for example a pair of bucks may be supported in lengthwise parallel side-by-side spaced relationship, the bucks each being connected at one end to the common pivotal support means. Alternatively four bucks may be arranged in two lengthwise parallel side- Patented Oct. 9, 1956 by-side spaced lines, and the co-operating top and bottom pressing heads arranged in two pairs in order to deal with two loaded 'bucks at a time, the pairs of pressing heads being disposed either in longitudinally parallel spaced side-by-side relationship or in longitudinally align-ed end-to-end relationship.

As a still further alternative, the bucks can be arranged in radial disposition with respect to the common central pivot.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an embodiment of the press according to the present invention,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the press shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an elevation taken on the line 3- 3 of Figure '1 with the buck omitted, and

Figures 4 to 6 are diagrammatic plan views of various suitable buck arrangement according to the present invention.

In carrying the invention into effect according to one convenient mode by way of example, the press comprises a base structure '1 from which extends a vertical pedestal or pivot 2 journalled at '3 on the base structure #1 so as to be pivotal about its vertical axis. From the top of the pivot 2 a common support comprising a pair of arms 4 extend horizontally in opposite directions each terminating in mounting means, in the form of brackets 5, for a double-sided buck 6. Each buck has at one end a trunnion 7 extending on the centre line thereof, adapted to be journalled in a bearing 8 in the adjacent end of the respective bracket '5 whereby each buck 4 can rotate about its longitudinal central axis to facilitate laying out articles on the buck as described hereafter, :a manually releasable catch 9 being provided between the buck supporting bracket '5 and the buck 6 to locate and secure the buck horizontally. The pair of arms 4 are preferably mounted at the top of the pedestal 2 in a bearing 10 so that the arms 4 and therefore the bucks '6 can pivot to a very limited extent, as controlled for example by limit stops (not shown). The purpose of this limited pivotal movement of the bucks '6 is to enable them to tilt slightly firom their normal supported position when pressure is applied to both sides of them by pressing heads 11 and "12, as described hereafter, to allow uniform pressing pressure to be obtained.

Due to the pivotal mounting 3 of the pedestal 2 on which the bucks 6 are carried, the pedestal 2 when rotated by a convenient drive (described hereafter) moves the two bucks 6 in an orbit around the pivotal axis. The drive for said orbital movement is controlled by suitable means, either automatic or manually actuated, so as to bring the bucks 6 to rest every half revolution, so that one buck is in a loading or laying out station A, preferably clear of the base structure 1, and the other buck at a pressing station E between the two above mentioned pressing heads 11 and 12. At the loading or laying out station A, the operator arranges a garment to be pressed over the buck 6, which is provided with the ancillary devices in the form of posts 13 for accommodating sleeves and in the form of resilient clips 14, slidable along the posts 13, for holding dependent portions of garments in position as described hereafter; the bucks 6 are then caused to make their half revolution of movement around their orbit, so that the garment laid out is pressed while the pressed garment on the buck now at the loading station A is removed and another garment arranged thereon.

The pressing station B comprises the two co-operating pressing heads 11 and 12 referred to above, which are arranged in spaced parallel horizontal relationship as an upper head 11 and a lower head 12 adapted both to co-operate with each of the bucks 6 in turn as they are positioned in the pressing station B. While one or other of the heads 11 or 12 may be fixed and the other positively movable to apply pressing pressure, it is preferred to make both heads 11 and 12 movable to apply pressure by means of a pressure device acting between lever systems (described hereafter) operatively associated with the two heads, so that balanced pressure is obtained on the buck between the two heads and in their associated lever system, so that a closed system of forces in equilibrium is obtained.

To this end the lower head 12 is mounted on its underside on a vertically extending post or pair of posts 15 (Figure 3) in bearings 16a so as to permit an up and down reciprocatory movement of the head, and the upper head 11 is hung from a two-armed lever 16 which is pivoted at its mid-point 17 on the base structure 1 to the rear of the pressing station B, the upper arm 18 curving to a position above the pressing station to carry the upper head 11 and the lower arm 19 curving to a position below the pressing station and spaced below the lower head 12. Between the underside of the lower head 12 and the end of the lower arm 19 of the lever '16 is connected a pair of links 20 and 21 forming a toggle system and to the common pivot 22 of the toggle links is connected a reciprocating pressure applying device such as the piston rod 23 of an air cylinder and piston assembly 24 mounted on the base structure 1 and controllable to eflect opening and closing of the press. Movement of the piston rod 23 to straighten the toggle linkage 20, 21 causes the lower head 12 to be raised and the lower arm 19 of the upper head lever 16 to be depressed. The lever 16 pivots about its centre 17 and causes the upper end to descend and press down the upper head 11. This movement of the lever 16 and heads 11 and 12 is from the full lines to the chain-dotted lines in Figure 1. When both heads are displaced sufficiently to engage the opposite sides of the buck 6 in the pressing station, pressure on both sides of the buck is equalised due to the fact that the buck is floating by being tiltable in the bearing 10 to a limited extent.

When pressing is completed, control is effected to cause the air cylinder assembly 24 to retract its rod 23 causing the toggle 20, 21 to fold up. Thus the lower head 12 is pulled down and the curved lever 16 caused to pivot back and raise the upper head 11 to open the press. The folding up of the toggle 20, 21 and retraction of the heads 11 and 12 are assisted by springs 25 extending between the underside of the lower buck 12 and the lower end of the arm 19 of the lever 16.

The orbital movements of the bucks 6 and the opening and closing of the pressing heads 11 and 12 are preferably automatically synchronised and under unitary control of the operator with, however, an individual control for opening the press without rotation of the buck should it be necessary.

According to a preferred form of achieving the orbital motion of the bucks 6 above the vertical axis of the pedestal 2, a constantly running electric motor is provided with a selectively engageable clutch (not shown), under control of the operator through the synchronised control referred to above. The clutch may be embodied in the motor and couples the motor 30 to a reduction gear box 32 of, say, 50:1 ratio having an output shaft 33 on the end of which is secured an eccentric or crank 34. The eccentric or crank 34 is linked by a connecting rod 35 to a second eccentric or crank 36 secured on the bottom of the pedestal shaft 2. When the clutch motor 30 is engaged to drive, the eccentric or crank linkage 34, 35, 36 causes the bucks 14 to rotate in orbital movement.

In the operation of the press, according to the present invention, garments are laid out on the bucks when they are in the loading station A and are carried on the bucks into the pressing station B on operation of the press control means, as described above. Since, however, pressing occurs simultaneously on each side of the garment, provision must be made for ensuring that no slack is present on any pressed surface of the garment, particularly on the side of the garment adjacent the underside of the buck, which Will tend to sag downwards under gravity. It is for this reason that, in addition to the sleeve posts 13, the resilient clips 14 are provided and the bucks are made pivotal in the bearings 8. By this arrangement a shirt, for example, may be placed over the buck in the loading station with the front of the shirt uppermost, the clips 14 engaging the upperside of the buck (that is the buck being reverse from the position shown on the left of Figure 2). The front of the shirt is arranged on what is the buck upper surface and the front tail held taut by the clips 14, the sleeves being threaded over and draped on the posts 13 in known manner. The catch 9 is then released and the buck rotated about the pivotal axis of the bearing 8 so that the back of the shirt lies on top of the buck. Since the front of the shirt has been draped tight over the upper surface some slack will probably be found in the material forming the back of the shirt and this is taken up by means of longitudinal pleats 26 put in by hand, as is customary in shirt laundering. The buck remains in this position with the back of the shirt on the top surface so that the pleats 26 do not fall out and the shirt is carried round in this position to the pressing station and pressed in this manner.

As has been previously mentioned the invention is not confined to any specific number or arrangement of doublesided bucks, the illustrated and above described disposition being one of a number of alternatives available according to design requirements. By way of further example of other buck dispositions Figures 4 to 6 illustrate alternative embodiments. In Figure 4 four double-sided bucks 6a are arranged in two lengthwise parallel side-byside spaced lines being carried at the ends of the arms 4 of the pedestal 2 by the trunnions or the like 711. In this instance pressing heads, for co-operation with the bucks, are arranged in two pairs dealing with a pair of loaded bucks at a time. The pressing heads have not been shown but may be arranged either in longitudinal parallel spaced side-by-side relationship or longitudinal aligned end-toend relationship.

In Figure 5 three bucks 6b are arranged tangentially to their orbit of rotation about the pedestal 2 being carried on radially extending arms 4b and pivoted to the ends thereof by trunnions 7b. In this instance a single pressing station would be employed, the disengaged bucks being respectively at a loading station and an unloading station or alternatively both disengaged bucks being simultaneously or successively loaded.

In Figure 6 three bucks 6c are radially disposed about the pedestal 2 and carried on radially disposed arms 40, this arrangement being a modification of that shown in Figure 5 as regards the pressing station requirements.

The pressing heads may be steam or electrically heated in known manner and provision may be made it required for heating the bucks. The control means for the apparatus may be electrical, mechanical, hydraulic or pneumatic according to known practice and the power means for rotating the bucks may conveniently be electrical.

For the convenience of the operator a stationary table or guard rail or both may be arranged below the loading station and over the orbit of the swinging bucks.

Where more than one pair of pressing heads are used (e. g. as in the case of the four buck arrangements mentioned above) a common power device may be used for closing the pairs of heads to effect simultaneous pressing.

We claim:

1. A garment press of the type indicated comprising a vertical pivot, a common support rotatable thereon, a plurality of horizontal-1y disposed double-sided bucks mounted on said common support and displaceable with the support about the common vertical pivot in a substantially horizontal plane from a garment laying out station into position at a pressing station, means for displacing said bucks about said pivot, and upper and lower heated pressing heads normally positioned above and below said horizontal plane at the pressing station, means to move said heads vertically toward each other to apply pressing pressure simultaneously from above and below to a buck and garment thereon when positioned therebetween.

2. A garment press as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plurality of bucks comprises a pair of bucks supported in lengthwise parallel side-by-side space relationship, said common support connecting the bucks to said common vertical pivot and being disposed centrally between the bucks intermediate their length.

3. A garment press as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plurality of bucks comprises four bucks supported in two lengthwise parallel side-by-side spaced lines and said common support comprises arms extending from said vertical pivot disposed centrally with respect to the four bucks to support said bucks in pairs.

4. A garment press as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plurality of bucks comprises at least three bucks arranged in tangential disposition to their orbit of [rotation about their common vertical pivot, said common support comprising arms extending in a generally radial direction from the common vertical pivot to support said bucks.

5. A garment press as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plurality of bucks comprises at least three bucks arranged in radial disposition with respect to their common pivot, said common support comprising radially extending arms connected to said bucks for supporting the same.

6. A garment press as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means to move said heads for applying pressing pressure thereto comprise a curved centrally pivoted lever on one end of which is mounted one of the pressing heads, a toggle linkage mounted on the other end of the lever connecting the lever to the other pressing head, means to straighten the toggle so that the pressing head and the end of the lever arm to which the toggle is connected are forced apart causing the pressing heads to move towards one another and press the buck therebetween.

7. A garment press as claimed in claim 6, wherein the means for displacing the bucks about their vertical pivot include a drive comprising a power rotated shaft, a crank on the end of the shaft, a second shaft on the vertical pivot of the bucks and connected thereto, a crank on the end of the second shaft adjacent to said first mentioned crank, and a connecting rod pivotally connected to and extending between the two cranks.

8. A garment press .as claimed in claim 7, wherein the power rotated shaft is driven by a constantly running clutch motor through reduction gearing.

9. A garment press as claimed in claim 1, wherein said common support for mounting the bucks on said central vertical pivot include arms on which each buck is pivotally mounted about its central longitudinal axis, whereby the bucks may be turned over face for face, and locking means to lock each buck in a horizontal position with either face uppermost.

10. A garment press of the type indicated comprising a vertical pivot, a common support mounted on said pivot, a plurality of horizontally disposed double-sided bucks mounted on said support and displaceable about said vertical pivot in a substantially horizontal plane from a garment laying out station into position at a pressing station, upper and lower heated pressing heads mounted above and below said plane at the pressing station to move towards each other to apply pressing pressure to a buck and garment thereon positioned therebetween simultaneously from above and below, means for displacing the double-sided bucks comprising a power rotated shaft, a crank on the end of the shaft, a second shaft on the vertical pivot of the bucks and connected thereto, a crank on the end of said second shaft adjacent to said first mentioned crank, and a connecting rod pivotally connected to and extending between the two cranks.

11. A garment press as claimed in claim 10, wherein the power rotated shaft is driven by a constantly running clutch motor through reduction gearing.

12. A garment press as claimed in claim 10, wherein said common support for mounting the bucks on said central vertical axis include arms on which each buck is pivotally mounted about its central longitudinal axis, whereby the bucks may be turned over face for face, and locking means to lock each buck in a horizontal position with either face uppermost.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 325,122 Shearer Aug. 25, 1885 454,798 Honeyman June 23, 1891 1,218,609 Benjamin Mar. 6, 1917 2,207,096 Kahn et al July 9, 1940 2,375,947 Robbel May 15, 1945 2,452,483 Newhouse Oct. 26, 1948 2,479,729 Davis Aug. 23, 1949 2,624,964 Westwood Jan. 13, 1953 2,636,293 Gudgeon Apr. 28, 1953 2,669,374 Jones Feb. 16, 1954 

